Project Manager Construction Course

Lesson 1 • Project Delivery Methods

Compares design-bid-build, design-build, and construction management delivery models. Helps students select appropriate methods based on project goals.

Lesson 2 • The Construction Industry Landscape

Covers industry sectors, project types, and key participants. Provides context for understanding how construction projects are initiated and governed.

Lesson 3 • Project Manager Role and Responsibilities

Defines the PM's authority, accountability, and daily functions on a construction site. Connects role clarity to effective project leadership.

Lesson 4 • Contracts and Legal Fundamentals

Introduces contract types, key clauses, and legal obligations common in construction. Grounds students in contractual literacy before advanced planning topics.

Lesson 1 • Project Planning Documentation

Covers the project management plan structure, subsidiary plans, and approval processes. Ensures students can produce a plan that guides execution and control.

Lesson 2 • Work Breakdown Structure Development

Guides decomposition of project deliverables into manageable work packages. WBS becomes the foundation for scheduling, costing, and resource planning.

Lesson 3 • Defining and Documenting Project Scope

Teaches scope statement development, requirements gathering, and scope baseline creation. Directly prevents scope creep by establishing clear boundaries early.

Lesson 1 • Gantt Charts and Look-Ahead Schedules

Covers Gantt chart creation, milestone tracking, and three-to-six-week look-ahead schedules. Connects daily field planning to the master project schedule.

Lesson 2 • Schedule Monitoring and Reporting

Establishes processes for schedule updates, variance analysis, and progress reporting. Links schedule control to the broader project control system introduced later.

Lesson 3 • Schedule Compression and Recovery

Teaches crashing, fast-tracking, and resource reallocation to recover lost time. Prepares students to respond to delays without compromising quality or safety.

Lesson 4 • Scheduling Fundamentals and Logic

Introduces activity sequencing, dependency types, and network diagram construction. Establishes scheduling logic that underpins all advanced time management techniques.

Lesson 1 • Budget Development and Cost Baseline

Assembles all cost components into a time-phased cost baseline for project control. The baseline becomes the benchmark for earned value analysis in the next chapter.

Lesson 2 • Contingency and Risk Allowances

Covers contingency calculation methods and management reserve allocation. Connects cost risk to the risk management framework introduced in a later chapter.

Lesson 3 • Quantity Takeoff and Unit Pricing

Teaches measurement of materials, labor, and equipment from drawings and specifications. Accurate takeoffs form the quantitative basis for all cost calculations.

Lesson 4 • Direct and Indirect Cost Components

Breaks down direct field costs, general conditions, overhead, and profit. Understanding cost structure enables accurate budget assembly and markup decisions.

Lesson 1 • Cost Control Tools and Systems

Surveys construction cost management software, job cost systems, and integration with scheduling tools. Prepares students to implement digital cost control workflows.

Lesson 2 • Cost Reporting and Change Management

Covers cost report formats, change order cost impacts, and budget rebaselining. Connects financial reporting to the change control process established in scope management.

Lesson 3 • Forecasting and Estimate at Completion

Applies EAC formulas to project final cost and schedule outcomes. Accurate forecasting enables proactive management before problems become critical.

Lesson 4 • Performance Indices and Variance Analysis

Calculates SPI, CPI, SV, and CV to diagnose project health. Variance thresholds trigger corrective actions covered in subsequent sections.

Lesson 1 • Quality Assurance and Control in the Field

Implements QA audits, QC inspections, and nonconformance management on active construction sites. Connects field quality data to corrective action and continuous improvement.

Lesson 2 • Qualitative and Quantitative Risk Analysis

Uses probability-impact matrices and Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate risk exposure. Quantitative outputs inform contingency sizing and schedule buffer decisions.

Lesson 3 • Risk Identification and Assessment

Applies structured techniques to identify schedule, cost, safety, and technical risks. Risk identification feeds directly into the quantitative analysis and response planning sections.

Lesson 4 • Risk Response Planning and Monitoring

Develops avoidance, mitigation, transfer, and acceptance strategies for prioritized risks. Monitoring processes ensure responses remain effective throughout execution.

Lesson 1 • Environmental Compliance on Construction Sites

Addresses stormwater management, dust control, waste disposal, and environmental permit compliance. Environmental violations carry significant financial and reputational consequences.

Lesson 2 • Site Logistics and Layout Planning

Covers temporary facilities, material staging, access routes, and crane placement planning. Effective site layout reduces congestion, accidents, and productivity losses.

Lesson 3 • Occupational Safety Program Development

Builds a site-specific safety program including hazard identification, training, and emergency response. Safety compliance protects workers and reduces project liability.

Lesson 4 • Safety Inspections and Incident Management

Implements routine safety inspections, near-miss reporting, and incident investigation protocols. Proactive safety management reduces injury rates and regulatory violations.

Lesson 1 • Project Performance Evaluation

Measures final project outcomes against baseline scope, schedule, cost, and quality targets. Performance data informs organizational benchmarking and continuous improvement programs.

Lesson 2 • As-Built Documentation and Record Keeping

Establishes requirements for as-built drawings, operation manuals, and warranty documentation. Complete records support future maintenance, renovations, and dispute resolution.

Lesson 3 • Contract Closeout and Final Payment

Manages lien releases, final pay applications, retainage release, and contract closeout documentation. Financial closeout protects all parties and fulfills contractual obligations.

Lesson 4 • Commissioning and Substantial Completion

Covers systems testing, punch list development, and substantial completion certification. Proper commissioning ensures owner acceptance and triggers contractual payment milestones.